Execution Idea

[Yesi.Ale]

Hey Guys so i'm starting a business, I noticed a couple of value skews in some competitor businesses regarding customer service, quality of product and target market so Im pretty confident that this is a great opportunity. However im running into the issue of manufacturing, where id have to manufacture this product with a minimum order value. I don't want to get stuck with all the stock without being able to sell it while paying a fulfillment centre to hold stock that doesn't sell. So my plan of action is to Just design the product using photoshop and create a website using these pictures, then i will advertise the products on some social media platforms to see if i get engagement and people actually wanting to buy the product, if i get enough i will invest in buying the stock. My question is how do I design my Website not to sell at first but to funnel intrigue and desire for my product into an Email List?

 

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[circleme]

Hi Yesi,

welcome to the forum!

So my plan of action is to Just design the product using photoshop and create a website using these pictures, then i will advertise the products on some social media platforms to see if i get engagement and people actually wanting to buy the product, if i get enough i will invest in buying the stock. My question is how do I design my Website not to sell at first but to funnel intrigue and desire for my product into an Email List?

This approach seems good to me. Not long ago, I read a book about validating SaaS ideas (I know it's about software, but you can apply it to physical products as well, in my opinion). The author provided numerous practical ways to validate ideas or, more precisely, to test if someone is willing to pay you money in exchange for your product/solution.

The main idea is to avoid actually selling the product initially. So, at this point, all you need is your Photoshop design, product description, price, and the entire online shop setup. Then, you drive traffic to the shop and as soon as someone tries to make a purchase, they encounter a "System error: the product you wish to buy is currently out of stock." I understand that this might frustrate some potential customers, BUT:

1. You have effectively validated your idea, AND people would indeed pay you money for your solution/product.
2. You have the users' email addresses, and you could convert them into early adopters. You could even offer them the product for free to apologize for the "out of stock" situation.

At this stage, you could consider creating a minimum order quantity (MOQ) arrangement.

If this doesn't align with your approach/morals, I know from some of my past clients that they ordered slightly more samples than needed, and then started promoting them. This way, you would quickly go "out of stock" as well, but you'd already have real pictures of your product and you could validate your idea with a few hundred bucks (for product development, shipping, photography, and generating traffic).

 

[Yesi.Ale]

Hi Yesi,

welcome to the forum!


This approach seems good to me. Not long ago, I read a book about validating SaaS ideas (I know it's about software, but you can apply it to physical products as well, in my opinion). The author provided numerous practical ways to validate ideas or, more precisely, to test if someone is willing to pay you money in exchange for your product/solution.

The main idea is to avoid actually selling the product initially. So, at this point, all you need is your Photoshop design, product description, price, and the entire online shop setup. Then, you drive traffic to the shop and as soon as someone tries to make a purchase, they encounter a "System error: the product you wish to buy is currently out of stock." I understand that this might frustrate some potential customers, BUT:

1. You have effectively validated your idea, AND people would indeed pay you money for your solution/product.
2. You have the users' email addresses, and you could convert them into early adopters. You could even offer them the product for free to apologize for the "out of stock" situation.

At this stage, you could consider creating a minimum order quantity (MOQ) arrangement.

If this doesn't align with your approach/morals, I know from some of my past clients that they ordered slightly more samples than needed, and then started promoting them. This way, you would quickly go "out of stock" as well, but you'd already have real pictures of your product and you could validate your idea with a few hundred bucks (for product development, shipping, photography, and generating traffic).

Hi Yesi,

welcome to the forum!


This approach seems good to me. Not long ago, I read a book about validating SaaS ideas (I know it's about software, but you can apply it to physical products as well, in my opinion). The author provided numerous practical ways to validate ideas or, more precisely, to test if someone is willing to pay you money in exchange for your product/solution.

The main idea is to avoid actually selling the product initially. So, at this point, all you need is your Photoshop design, product description, price, and the entire online shop setup. Then, you drive traffic to the shop and as soon as someone tries to make a purchase, they encounter a "System error: the product you wish to buy is currently out of stock." I understand that this might frustrate some potential customers, BUT:

1. You have effectively validated your idea, AND people would indeed pay you money for your solution/product.
2. You have the users' email addresses, and you could convert them into early adopters. You could even offer them the product for free to apologize for the "out of stock" situation.

At this stage, you could consider creating a minimum order quantity (MOQ) arrangement.

If this doesn't align with your approach/morals, I know from some of my past clients that they ordered slightly more samples than needed, and then started promoting them. This way, you would quickly go "out of stock" as well, but you'd already have real pictures of your product and you could validate your idea with a few hundred bucks (for product development, shipping, photography, and generating traffic).

Thank you, I really appreciate the insight

Hi Yesi,

welcome to the forum!


This approach seems good to me. Not long ago, I read a book about validating SaaS ideas (I know it's about software, but you can apply it to physical products as well, in my opinion). The author provided numerous practical ways to validate ideas or, more precisely, to test if someone is willing to pay you money in exchange for your product/solution.

The main idea is to avoid actually selling the product initially. So, at this point, all you need is your Photoshop design, product description, price, and the entire online shop setup. Then, you drive traffic to the shop and as soon as someone tries to make a purchase, they encounter a "System error: the product you wish to buy is currently out of stock." I understand that this might frustrate some potential customers, BUT:

1. You have effectively validated your idea, AND people would indeed pay you money for your solution/product.
2. You have the users' email addresses, and you could convert them into early adopters. You could even offer them the product for free to apologize for the "out of stock" situation.

At this stage, you could consider creating a minimum order quantity (MOQ) arrangement.

If this doesn't align with your approach/morals, I know from some of my past clients that they ordered slightly more samples than needed, and then started promoting them. This way, you would quickly go "out of stock" as well, but you'd already have real pictures of your product and you could validate your idea with a few hundred bucks (for product development, shipping, photography, and generating traffic).